Electrical instrument for surgical or similar purposes.



No. 722,594. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903.

M. D. LAW. ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENT FOR SURGICAL 0R SIMILAR PURPOSES.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 25, 1900.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

MYRON D. LAW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICALINSTRUMENT FOR SURGICAL OR SIMILAR PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,594, dated March 10, 1903.

Application filed June 25, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MYRON D. LAW, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Instruments for Surgical or Similar Purposes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to electrical instruments for surgical and other purposes, and particularly to speculums; and its objects are to provide an instrument by which a current of electricity can be readily brought into application either to form a continuous current or an intermittent contact-current dependent on pressure by the operator for the purpose of lighting a lamp or for other purposes and to make such instrument of such form that it may be inserted into the mouth and throat Without the hand obstructing the View and may be readily taken apart and packed in a suitable case.

With these ends in View my invention consists of the parts and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a. central longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is an outside plan looking down upon the contact-button.

Referring to the drawings, the instrument consists of a tube A, bent at approximately a right angle at a and made in two parts I) c, which are jointed together just below the bend of the tube by a slip or lantern joint d, whereby the parts may be easily and readily disjointed for the purpose of shortening the length of the instrument, so that it may be conveniently packed in a suitable case, as above referred to. At one end of the instrument is a threaded socket to receive a lamp B, which is preferably mounted in the end of a hard-rubber plug 6, which is fitted into the tube and whereby the instrument may be sterilized without the acid used coming in contact with the soft metal around the lamp. One terminal of the lamp is connected to a suitable battery f and the other terminal to the tube A, which is made of electrical conducting material. In the opposite end of the tube, in the part c, is secured a plug f, of

Serial No. 21 ,548. (No model.)

insulating material. Upon this plug is mounted a contact-spring g, having a bent depending end h, which normally extends clear of the wall of the tube, but is adapted to be pressed into contact therewith when a circuit is established. A'push-button i is mounted on the spring and'projects through a slot j in the tube A. The button is adapted to have a sliding motion in the slot, so that it may be pressed down and slid forward until a shoulder k on the button engages the edge of the slot, and thus holds the button down and the spring in contact with the tube. The spring is connected to the battery by the wire Z.

In operation the two parts of the tube can be quickly put together. The form of tube shownenables the instrument to be inserted into the throat so as to efiectively illuminate the same without obstructing the View by the hand of the operator. When it is desired to bring into use an intermittent current, the button is pressed by the finger; but to employ a continuous current with fixed contact the button is depressed and then slid along until its shoulder engages the tube. The circuit is established through the tube A, the lamp, the contact-spring, andbattery-wires.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a speculum, made 'in separate, jointed portions whereby it is adapted to be easily and readily disjointed and packed ina suitable case, and having a tubular body, a plug of acid-resisting, non-conducting material in one end of said tubular body, closing the end thereof, for protecting the parts of the instrument susceptible to attack from acid and cleansing fluids, one terminal being fixed in connection with one terminal of an electric battery, and a conducting-piece, adapted to connect with the other terminal, substantially as described.

2. An electrical instrument for surgical and other purposes, consisting of a body of electrical conducting material, an electric lamp at one end, in fixed connection with one terminal of an electric battery, and a contactpiece connected to the other terminal, a shouldered button adapted to operate said contact-piece, either by pressure to obtain a temporary contact with said conducting material, of said body, or by locking said shouldered button by means of its shoulders, to obtain a fixed contact with said conducting material, independent of the pressure of the op erator, thus giving a constant or intermittent light, substantially as described.

3. In a speculum, a tubular body consisting of electrical conducting material, a spring contact-piece adapted to close an electric circuit and contact with said conducting tubular body, and normally clear thereof, and means to make fixed contact between said pieces, consisting of a slot in said tubular body and a shouldered, sliding button mounted therein, substantially as described.

4. In a speculum, a spring contact-piece mounted in an insulating material and hav- MYRON D. LAW.

Witnesses:

HENRY O. QUIMBY, JOHN J. LORDAN. 

